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Food for the Journey: Fellowship

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The following blog post is an extract taken from our Food for the Journey booklet which covers seven disciplines for Christian living. If you would like to download a digital copy of the booklet and work through the daily devotions please click here: FOOD FOR THE JOURNEYDISCIPLINE 2THE DISCIPLINE OF FELLOWSHIP:LEARNING INTERDEPENDENCEIt has been found that very meaningful growth takes place in small groups where there can be openness, sharing, discovery, comfort, honesty and encouragement — all contributing to a healthy interdependence. At New Harvest we have Fellowship Groups aimed at providing a “safe place” for people to share the journey closely with each other, allowing for people to be at different places in their walk at different times. In other words, some may be soaring and feeling totally on top of things, others may be struggling and a bit empty, others may be just pleasantly comfortable, still others may be deeply hurt and fragile – any one of us could be at any one of these places at different times – so allowance and acceptance of where you are at, is totally respected in the group. Your fellowship group leaders, you will find, are deeply committed, humble, gentle people, who have a real concern for your well-being and growth as a disciple, but they cannot and must not ever be Jesus to you, so they will gently always point you to Him, while doing whatever they can to make your journey easier.The word interdependence means a healthy interaction of people with each other where people are there for each other in positive ways that are not manipulative or clinging, yet supportive and committed. It’s a giving and receiving of love. This, as you can imagine requires sensitivity, kindness, a willingness to think the best of one another, a commitment to try and understand each other and hear each other, above all learning to relax in each other’s company and enjoy one another.As a result of the commitment to Christ of each one in the group, He will always be the main focus and purpose, for it is Him that draws us together and unites us.Within any group of people meeting together, there are bound to be times of differences of thought and opinion. Respect for each other’s ways of doing things and looking at things is very important. The group will aim at responding to each other in ways that do not communicate rejection of what the other is sharing, and will try not to defend, attack, correct or offer quick advice but listen patiently with each other to what the Lord is saying. It is very possible there might be someone in the group you really do not relate to, whom you really struggle with. It will be very important for you and the group that you ask the Lord how He sees that person and subsequently to try to look at that person through His eyes. This is always the challenge of loving acceptance of one another. Remember that…

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Children are a Heritage from God

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by John DoylePsalm 127:3 "Behold children are a Heritage from the Lord, The Fruit of the womb is a reward"Can you think of any better reward from the Lord than to have children in your home? Its a priceless reward and all made possible because of the Heritage that He passes on to us through the gift of children. Now we are told in Gods Word that this Godly Heritage (Children) are to be trained up in the way he should go "Train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it" Proverbs 22:6One day we will all say our goodbyes to our children and our greatest reward would be to see them go forward in Building a Godly Heritage into the lives of their children, which comes from the foundations laid down by their Parents. Its not an easy journey but when we apply the principles of Gods Word and apply them to our lives, our children will see it day by day and it will impact their lives after we have left this earth.Its a TRAIN journey as we read above in God's Word. Its not a fast train its a steady, consistent, secure train that comes from applying the rules found in the Manual which of course is God's Word.The TRAIN journey starts with Parents who choose to Live and Apply these key Biblical Foundations into the lives of their children. It begins with:TRUTHWe are to make sure that our children know "the Way, the Truth and the Life" found in the Lord Jesus and that this Truth when placed into their hearts by faith in Christ will give them the foundation to continue the TRAIN journey for their own lives and the lives of their future children.RIGHTEOUSNESSIts a train journey of Righteousness. Reading through Matthew Chapter 5, probably one of the most famous of teachings of the Lord Jesus He talks to His Disciples about what Life looks like for His followers so He pours into their lives the Beatitudes and one of the key beatitudes is "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled". Its not natural to live a righteous life its supernatural and when we choose to follow His ways and not ours we will experience the joys of living the righteous life.AUTHORITYAs parents we have been given authority to TRAIN our children. We have found in our ministry over the years that children often wish their parents would 1. Admit when they are wrong. 2. Control their tempers. 3. Keep their promises. When parents fail in these areas children can be deeply wounded and consequently express their hurt through becoming angry and rebellious. Authority will flow gracefully in the lives of our children when we apply Biblical truths and walk in humility and Love with the Heritage God has blessed us with, our children.INSPIRATIONIts so important for us as Parents to be an inspiration to our…

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In the Hands of Christ My King

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by Luke KincaidFrom time to time I like to share a song with you that I have been listening to a lot lately. Today's song is called, "In The Hands of Christ My King" by Austin Stone Worship. I can't remember exactly how I came across this song but the moment I heard it I knew that it was special:https://youtu.be/0tfXaXlHXy8Verse 1Come Holy Spirit, move in powerIgnite my heart with Your Holy fire.Show me The Father, show me The SonRevive my soul again, oh Spirit come ChorusAll my hope is found, in the hands of Christ my KingSo may my life be found, in the hands of Christ my King Verse 2Come Holy Spirit, fill me upTill I am carried, by Your rising floodShow me The Father, show me The SonRevive my soul again, oh Spirit comeChorusAll my hope is found, in the hands of Christ my KingSo may my life be found, in the hands of Christ my King BridgeIf You're not here I don't wanna beI won't be moved unless You moveI want You more than the air I breatheI need You, I need You ChorusAll my hope is found, in the hands of Christ my KingSo may my life be found, in the hands of Christ my King BridgeIf You're not here I don't wanna beI won't be moved unless You moveI want You more than the air I breatheI need You, I need You ChorusAll my hope is found, in the hands of Christ my KingSo may my life be found, in the hands of Christ my King True hope is found in Jesus and I long to live in a way that sees him always being fully present and honored by all my decisions and actions in my everyday life! Much love,Luke

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Game Changer

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by Calven CelliersLike a good film, Romans 8 has got it all. It starts with an attention-grabbing introduction – “1 There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1NIV), it has a fairy tale finish – “38 For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8: 38 & 39NIV), right in the middle we have this majestic truth, “28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28NIV), then there’s the subplot – “37 … we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.” (Romans 8:37NIV), but the linchpin, the hinge on which this awesome chapter turns is verse 31 – “31 What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” (Romans 8:31NIV) That’s the game changer! Perhaps you’re reading this blog post today and you’re wounded, broken and desperately in need of God to heal your heart and your emotions. Underneath the mask you live in pain and wonder if anything is ever going to change. For many, religion has created an atmosphere where we find it hard to believe that God is on our side because all we see God as is the punisher if we don’t get it right. If all you have is that kind of narrow vision of who God is you’ll never be able to walk in the fullness of your relationship with Him.In his book “If”, Mark Batterson makes this amazing observation. He writes, “Most people who reject God are really rejecting religion, without knowing it. They aren’t really rejecting God for who He is. They are actually rejecting God for who He isn’t … everything I rejected about God was not God. It was religion. It was people who go to church and do not show the love of Jesus, people who don’t practise what they preach, people who are indifferent to the poor and suffering. I had rejected that, but guess what? Jesus also rejected that. Jesus was and is the enemy of dead religion.”Let me pull this thread for just a minute. The most insidious lie that you can ever believe about God is that He is somehow against you. If the enemy can get us to buy into that lie, then we land up rejecting God for all the wrong reasons. If you don’t love God, it’s because you don’t really know God; to know God is to love God. Religion is all about what you can do for God. Christianity on the other hand is all about what Christ has done for you.“Christianity begins not with a big DO, but with a big DONE.”…

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